Superfood Recipe #1: Miso Soup

Earlier this week I decided I was fed up with how unhealthily we were eating. I hadn't been cooking as much and oftentimes we were just out of good veggies and fruit. Not to mention, most of the veggies/fruit we'd been eating were the "normal" but not "super," nutritionally rich ones. I am also still just coming out of the first trimester sickness/exhaustion and feeling very depleted. I didn't eat that well because not much sounded good and I couldn't keep a lot of things down. I have started to wonder if this is a vicious cycle: maybe bad nutrition and dehydration resulting from morning sickness only add to the symptoms.

So I did some research on super foods and recipes incorporating them. Here's the nutritional make up of today's recipe for Miso Soup.

Garlic & Green Onions: These are called alliums which are said to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, inhibit the growth of certain types of cancers and have antibiotic properties. (Grace is still fighting a cold so I thought a little extra garlic would be good for her.)
Carrots & Celery: Both are a good sources of Dietary Fiber, A, C, K and Potassium. There are also some other vitamins and minerals in them.
Cabbage: Part of the cruciferous veggie family that is packed with cancer-fighting nutrients like sulforaphane.
Seaweed & Kale: Both are dark leafy greens that are packed full of iron, Vitamin A, lutein (for your eyes) and even omega-3s.
Miso and Tofu: Miso is fermented soybean paste. Tofu also comes from soybeans. Soybeans are a great source of low-calorie protein. Miso also contains B12 and is a good source of zinc.

Now to the recipe:

Miso Soup
(Makes 2, 2 cup servings)

Ingredients:
1 clove of garlic, minced
a touch of oil (veggie, canola, peanut, coconut, olive, whatever)
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large celery stalk, sliced
a handful of kale leaves, washed and torn into small pieces
a handful of chopped cabbage (I had some leftovers of a bag of pre-chopped cabbage for coleslaw)
1/2 c of firm tofu cut into small cubes
1 green onion, chopped
2 packages of Instant Wakame Miso Soup mix (I used the Kabuto brand and was very happy with it)

Heat oil in a small pot. Add garlic and sautee for a few minutes. Then add 3 cups of water. Throw in the carrot and celery and bring to a soft boil for 5 minutes. Add the kale, cabbage, and tofu for the last 5 minutes. Stir in the soup mix and top with green onions.

That's it's! It was easy and Grace seems to enjoy it, especially the tofu and carrots!